In last week’s blog, I talked to “pre-published authors” (another way of saying, “you’ve been in labor but your book hasn’t been born yet”) about the book birthing experience. After you’ve answered the first two most important questions — 1) Why do I want my book to be published? and 2) How much control am I comfortable giving up? – The next two questions to ask yourself are:

1) What will it take to get my book accepted by the kind of publisher I want?
2) How long am I willing to wait to get my book to market?

1) What will it take to get my book accepted by the kind of publisher I want? Aside from preparing your manuscript in the format required by any publisher you hope to work with, there are some key differences in what else you need to do.

Going after a major traditional publisher? You’d be well-advised to find the best literary agent you can (see my previous blogs on the subject). You should also consult a literary attorney before signing any publishing contract, unless you want your pockets picked by the folks whose job is to take as much control over — and profit from — your book as possible.

Smaller publishers such as university presses and independent publishers are not as hard to approach and they will usually work more closely with you. The key here is to find publishers that work with your genre because they know how to market to your target audience. Although hiring an agent is not as critical when approaching these publishers, an agent or a publishing consultant can be invaluable. Legal counsel before signing a contract is always advisable.

Self-publishing companies will consider every manuscript sent to them because you are paying for their service. Still, you shouldn’t rush the selection or preparation process because if you do, it will cost you heavily in the end. Do your homework to find the best fit for your type of book and the particular services you will need.

2) How long am I willing to wait to get my book to market? If time is not a consideration, you could submit your query and manuscript to as many publishers as you want. The largest traditional publishing houses can take up to a year to get back to you, even if it is to reject you without having read your manuscript. Smaller traditional and indie publishers may take as long as 6 months (the delay caused by smaller staff and production capabilities) but they usually are more responsive. Of course, you might get responses sooner, hopefully positive ones, but be prepared to wait. And wait. Don’t get discouraged but don’t quit your day job.

A self-published book can get to market in as little as two months – if you know what you’re doing and are willing to put in 18-hour days, 7 days a week for much of that time. And no first-time self-publishing authors ever totally know what they are doing!

Another factor in the timing it takes to get a book to market is the format of the book. Printed books almost always take longer than eBooks to produce. Also, a commitment to quantity is required with printing but not with eBooks, which can be produced on demand. Just as self-publishing is a growing trend, so are eBooks. So many choices mean… so many choices an author needs to make. Make sure your choices are well-informed.

Now that you know what it takes, and how long it takes, to birth a book, there are two more major question to ask: 1) How will my books reach readers? and 2) What influences the life and death of book sales? We’ll address those questions next week in Part 3.

The book is written. You want to get it published. If you don’t ask these two questions first, you are doomed to disappointment:

1) Why do I want my book to be published?
2) How much control am I comfortable giving up?

1) Why do I want my book to be published? As nice as it is to make money, it usually is not the first (or second, or even third) reason authors want their book published. How widespread or how targeted you want your readership to be will help determine the type of publisher you should be seeking: traditional big publishing house, university press, smaller independent publisher, or self-publisher. Within each of these categories there are varieties of publishers specializing in certain genres, formats and distributorship.

2) How much control am I comfortable giving up? Some people like to feel in control of every aspect of their life while some are delighted to leave all decisions up to others. The more advance money you accept, the less control over the product and sales you will have. Where you fit in on the spectrum of acceptable control will determine what type of publisher you will be most comfortable with.

At one end, traditional publishing offers the most in advance payment and marketing support but they make the artistic and marketing choices. They determine whether your book sells or sits in a warehouse, which affects royalties. You give up virtually all control until/unless your rights return to you, which could be a long time coming.

At the other end, self-publishing is just that. You pay for everything and become responsible for every aspect of your book’s production and sales; more details than you’ve probably considered. You also get to choose which responsibilities you want to take over and which you will pay others to handle for you. Self-publishing gives you complete ownership and control of your work — and the flow of your money — from the get-go.

In between traditional and self-publishing is a range of University Presses and Independent Publishers, who will negotiate the various aspects of payments or fees and available services. The degree of your control over your book will depend on the deal you strike.

Once you’ve answered these first two important questions, the next two important questions to ask are:

1) What will it take to get my book accepted by the kind of publisher I want?
2) How long am I willing to wait to get my book to market?

We’ll explore that in next week’s blog.